Published Aug 28, 2026 | 11:11 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 28, 2026 | 11:14 AM
Sheba, her team and their guide, Kishan Kumar Mukhya
Synopsis: Fourteen youngsters from Kerala, who travelled to Nepal to explore the Himalayas, were caught amid devastating floods but remained safe after their guide rerouted them away from the affected areas. As rescue efforts continue, several other Malayali groups stranded in the flood-hit country have also been confirmed safe.
How do the Himalayas look when the sun casts its golden shade over the mountains? What stories of death, life and the afterlife live along the Tibetan borders? And how do people living in the shadow of these majestic peaks connect with the souls and stories of their ancestors?
For 14 youngsters from Kerala -eight boys and six girls- finding answers to these questions was more than just a holiday plan.
It was a dream they had nurtured for years, saving every penny to make that journey a reality.
They chose the best travel operator to execute their long-awaited dream. And finally, a week ago, the journey began.
Sheba Sherin and her team reached Nepal with bags packed with dreams and hearts full of the Himalayas.
But on August 26, Nepal turned that dream into a nightmare. Instead of opening up its breathtaking landscapes and centuries-old stories, the country left them desperately looking for a way back home.
Sheba had imagined returning to her hometown in Malappuram with stories of the majestic Himalayas. Now, she has just one dream- somehow reach the Sonauli border and make it back to India.
Speaking to South First, Sheba and their travel guide Kishan Kumar Mukhya recalled how their Himalayan dream slowly turned into a nightmare.
Kishan rerouted the team nearly 80 kilometres away from the flood-hit area
When South First reached out to Kishan Kumar, the local travel guide from Pokhara who was accompanying the Keralam group from Malappuram, his first priority was to make sure that panic did not spread.
Even as his own family and friends grappled with the impact of the flash floods, Kishan reassured, ”Your people are safe with me.”
”This is peak tourist season. Many people from India come to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Although the journey is closely associated with religious beliefs, many youngsters also come to experience the challenging journey through the Himalayas.” Kishan said.
”When the flood happened, I and my Keralam team were in Pokhara for sightseeing. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibetan side, affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts near the border as well as Nuwakot district, southwest of Kathmandu. The route from Pokhara to the Rasuwa border is currently suspended and several major roads are closed.” he said.
”Nepal has always been a hotspot when it comes to climate-related threats. We are constantly prepared to face such situations and checking weather updates every hour is part of our lifestyle because the safety of our guests depends on it. But this one shattered my country.” Kishan added.
Sheba was still in shock, but said the group was safe. She said she only realised the severity of the disaster after receiving continuous calls and messages from her family and friends in Malappuram.
”We were lucky that we had not started heading towards the border region when the floods hit. Pokhara was safe, but if we had started travelling towards the bord er, we would definitely have ended up in trouble. More than us, our families were panicking.” Sheba said.
”Kishan is an excellent guide who puts safety first. He rerouted us nearly 80 kilometres away from the flood-hit area and that is why we are safe today. We have witnessed floods in Keralam too, but we cannot compare them with what has happened in Nepal. The severity and the damage are unimaginable.” she said.
As per the current plan, the group will leave for Gorakhpur by bus on Friday.
Sheba and her friends may be returning home with the trauma of having witnessed something they had never imagined, but the disaster has not erased the dream that brought them to Nepal.
”We cannot give up on our dream. The Himalayas will definitely call us back- when Nepal starts to breathe again.” Sheba said. For now, the journey ends not with the golden Himalayas they had dreamed of seeing, but with the memory of a country shaken by nature’s fury.
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According to authorities, around 53 Keralites, including children have been stranded in Nepal after the devastating floods. Of these, 43 people have been identified as safe, while direct contact could not be established with the remaining 10, O T Prakash from the team of Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor told South First.
According to NORKA Roots, which is cordinating the rescue efforts in the state, another group of Keralites -a 36-member group from Kanhangad in Kasaragod and a 16-member group from Kottayam- has been confirmed safe after travelling to other parts of Nepal.
The Malayali community in Kathmandu has also been confirmed safe, according to Renjan, a Kottayam native who has been settled in Nepal for more than three decades.
”The flood-hit areas are around six hours away from Kathmandu. The Malayali community here is safe,” he told South First. Renjan is also coordinating with government officials and rescue teams to assist Malayalis stranded in affected areas.
Meanwhile, JS Adoor, former UN official and chief of the Public Policy Cell of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said he is cordinating rescue efforts through his office in one of the flood-hit regions.
”I have an office in the flood-hit region and my colleagues are coordinating efforts to rescue people, including Malayalis. Communication is still difficult, but we are doing our best to help those stranded there.” he told South First.
Adoor was also supposed to travel to Nepal. But his trip was rescheduled just hours before the flash floods struck.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
